‘I s*** myself playing for Liverpool in Champions League – I thought I was done’
Ex-Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has confessed that he “s*** himself” during a Champions League defeat against Olympiacos.
The former Reds left-back spent five years at Anfield. He played 67 times for his childhood club before moving to Blackburn Rovers in 2007.
During his time on Merseyside, Warnock made his first-team debut for Liverpool in the Champions League in 2004. That came just nine months before Rafa Benitez led the team to their fifth victory in the prestigious European competition.
READ MORE: Graeme Souness says Simon Jordan is ‘talking b******s’ over Man Utd comment
READ MORE:Cappuccino crazy Harry Kane and footballer’s oddest diets – from ice cream to nan’s eggs
Learn more
Sky Sports is bringing you 500 live football games to watch, as well access to Cricket, Golf, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA and more across eight dedicated channels. Sky Sports is the only way to watch all the action this year.
£22 a month
Sky
Before the miraculous win in Istanbul against AC Milan, there were numerous challenges, the Mirror reports, including a 1-0 defeat to Olympiacos in the group stage, which made the road to qualifying for the knockout stages of the tournament difficult for Liverpool.
Starting the game, the former left-back admitted that the intense atmosphere at Karaiskakis Stadium during the warm-up opened his eyes on the importance of this match during his appearance on the Undr The Cosh podcast.
Where does Rafael Benitez rank among the greatest managers in Liverpool’s history? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below
(Image: Undr The Cosh)
“When we got to Olympiacos’ ground on the day of the game, their fans were in as soon as we came out to warm up and you could hear them banging through the roof of the changing room and I was thinking s***, this is big-time,” Warnock revealed.
Admitting his in-game fear, the former England star confessed he “s*** himself” during a match which resulted in Benitez substituting him at half-time in a game that ended with a 1-0 defeat for his side in Greece. “I admit it, I s*** myself, I came off at half-time I was awful, I felt like I was well out of my depth and I remember thinking I’ve got to f***ing do something about this,” he admitted bluntly.
Reliving his torment upon leaving the field, he recalled: “I remember coming off the plane, I was devastated and dead embarrassed. I couldn’t look at any of the players in the eye, I felt like ‘that’s me done at Liverpool’.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Join the Daily Star’s WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!
Through the app, we’ll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…along with the latest breaking news of course.
To join our community, all you have to do to join is click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in!
No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
After eventually waving goodbye to Liverpool, Warnock managed to craft a respectable Premier League career with sides such as Blackburn and Aston Villa, even earning his England debut whilst at the former.
During his episode on the podcast, the Lancashire-born player slung criticism towards his old Reds boss, scolding Benitez for his lousy man-management skills.
“He didn’t speak to anyone,” he declared. Criticising Benitez’s leadership style, he shockingly disclosed: “His man-management was horrendous, absolutely horrendous, I’ve said this to loads of people, [he’s] tactically brilliant. Man-management? Zero. Absolutely no idea how to speak to anyone.”
